Page 48 of Saved By the Firefighter

Jason nods, his smirk replaced by something resembling sincere support. "He's right, man. You know Jake's solid. And stubborn as hell. He'll treat Ellie right."

The silence stretches tight, and for a moment, I wonder if Marcus will blow a gasket. But then something shifts in his expression, the lines of his face softening ever so slightly.

"Alright," he exhales. "Fine. But if you do anything to hurt her—"

"Never," I cut in. "I'm in this. All the way."

Marcus and I lock eyes, a silent agreement passing between us. The tension finally leaves my body—most of it. There’s still the obstacle of facing Ellie and getting her to take me back.

"Congrats, man." Jason claps me on the shoulder, his grin genuine. Asher simply nods, the closest thing to a congratulations I'll probably get from him.

Then Jason shakes his head. “I don’t understand any of this. How are all of you getting married before me? I’m the charming one.” He glances at Marcus. “You’re not planning a proposal next are you? I think I’d die being the last one not engaged.”

Marcus’ eyes go wide and he actually smiles. “Absolutely not. These two want to get married, not me.”

“Good,” Jason exhales. “Then I still have time.”

His words break the tension as we all smile.

After a long moment, Marcus extends his hand. I grasp it firmly. Things aren't back to normal, not yet...but this is a start. A step toward making things right, and building something new.

Chapter 20

Ellie

The floorboards creak under my restless steps as I pace the length of my living room, my mind a tangled web of what-ifs and how-tos. My thumb hovers over my phone screen, as I think about what Danielle and Olivia told me over brunch last weekend—about focusing on the first step of just telling Jake. Then I can deal with what comes next.

I pause by the window, staring out at the late afternoon sunlight, feeling the weight of the secret inside me. Jake hasn't been at his apartment since our fallout, and I'm torn between the desire to respect his need for space and the urgency to not let another day slip by without telling him about the baby. Showing up unannounced at his ranch could backfire, though. The image of him, arms crossed, jaw clenched in that defensive stance he does so well, flashes through my mind.

Maybe meeting somewhere neutral would be best. I can just convince him to meet me for coffee. That’s what I’ll do.

I look at my phone, ready to tap out a message, when I see an incoming text that makes my heart leap into my throat. It's from Jake: Can you come by the ranch today?

I blink at it a few times, wondering if I’m seeing things. I have no idea what this means. Does he want to talk or tell me about something of mine I left there? I don’t know, but it seems like it will be a good time to face my worries and just tell him about this life now growing inside me.

I respond and tell him I’m on my way. Then without letting myself have doubts, I grab my car keys and head out. It's now or never.

I get in the car and head out to the ranch, the familiar turns onto unpaved roads and winding driveways doing little to calm my frayed nerves. By the time I pull up in front of the main ranch house, my heart's pounding so hard I'm afraid it might burst from my chest. I take a deep breath and step out, the smell of earth and hay hitting my nose.

Jake's already waiting on the front porch, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, his usual worn jeans and boots accentuating his muscular frame. He straightens when I step out of the car, raking a hand through his hair as I approach.

There's something about him today that seems less...fortified than usual. His shoulders aren't quite as squared, his eyes not as shielded. We greet each other with a stilted hello, the awkwardness hanging between us.

"Charlotte okay?" I ask, trying to fill the silence with something, anything familiar.

"Yeah. She's at a friend's for the night," he replies, and his voice has that telltale tremor of nerves. I hug myself, suddenly cold despite the warm air.

I’m too anxious for small talk, so I get to the question that’s heavy on my mind. "Why did you ask me here, Jake?"

"Can we...go for a horseback ride?" he asks, and I can tell it's not really what he wants to ask. There's a bigger question in his eyes.

I glance warily at the two horses Jake already saddled. They’re reigns are tied to a fence nearby. A horseback ride is the last thing I should be doing right now because of the risk for the baby. I hesitate, and Jake misreads it instantly. "Don't worry, the one I picked for you is gentle. She'll take good care of you."

"Jake," I start, but stop myself. This isn't how I want to break the news. Not yet. He deserves to say his piece first because he clearly invited me here for a reason. “I, um…Why did you ask me here?”

He nods and rakes a hand through his long dark hair again. "Listen, Ellie," he starts, then takes a deep breath, his eyes locking onto mine. "I've been a complete idiot. Pushing you away, telling myself I wasn't ready. Truth is, I was just scared. Scared of not being enough for you. I kept trying to keep my distance because the more time I spent with you, the harder it was to remember why I shouldn't..."

He trails off, but the unspoken words hang in the air between us, as loud as any confession. My heart kicks into a sprint, pulse thrumming at his admission.

---